John Dennis looks to challenge Nancy Pelosi with a more fiscally conservative, anti-war agenda

image
Published: 30 Apr, 2010
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
3 min read

Could a Republican soon claim the seat long held by Speaker Nancy Pelosi? If John Dennis has his druthers, such a thing will happen in the November 2010 election.

Dennis, who paints himself as a “pro-liberty Republican,” is gunning for the very same seat which Pelosi has continuously held for over 20 years. Dennis is working hard to unseat the polarizing Pelosi, and it is fascinating that a Republican has been gaining as much steam as Dennis has, in a notoriously liberal region.


Dennis comes to the arena with at least one distinct advantage.  He does not bring an exceptional amount of national political baggage. Pelosi has received widespread criticism for her role in advocating government-run healthcare.  She has also been noted for her highly partisan criticism of the Tea Party Movement (remember Astoturf and the inevitable Nazi comparisons?) and her finger-wagging at the CIA.


Dennis, the longtime businessman and Republican candidate is no stranger to politics, standing as a founder of the Republican Liberty Caucus of San Francisco. He explains on his campaign site that the choice to run came rather dramatically: “The deciding factor for me came down to this: When things get dark, which they will if we don’t change our present course, I know that I will regret not having spoken out on this stage when I had the chance.”

Dennis has expressed concern for the direction of the country, noting that his background in economics informed his understanding that “our current political behavior cannot be sustained much longer. The country needs to elect people who will stop the suicidal policies that pose an existential threat to the American experiment in liberty… The time has passed to pretend that ‘some else will do it.’”

He has expressed support for a “strong national defense”, calling national defense “one of the essential functions of the Federal government.” Dennis supports border security, a well-trained and well-cared for army, and believes that American troops should not “be forced to be policemen of the world.”


Dennis has been supported in his bid by such recognizable individuals and organizations as Barry Goldwater Jr., the Republican Liberty Caucus, and the San Francisco Young Republicans. While it may seem like a Republican running for office in San Francisco could make for comedy, Dennis may have picked the right dog for this fight.


What could potentially propel Dennis  to an upset victory is his alignment with the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC). The RLC feels that at every level, government is “too big, too intrusive, and too expensive.” The organization further supports the promotion of “individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise” all within the broader confines of the Republican Party.

IVP Donate

The RLC has officially endorsed a handful of 2010 California candidates, including Linda “Ellie” Black for the 27th District (encompassing notoriously liberal areas such as Santa Cruz) and Gary Clift for the 10th District (encompassing such regions as Stockton and Sacramento).

The RLC is a nearly-20-year-old organization which counts Texas representative Ron Paul as one of its best known members. Dennis himself supported Paul’s failed 2008 bid for the presidency.


A strong alignment with the Libertarian-esque movement may make this race a very interesting one to watch.  On many issues, the RLC looks more to the right than moderate Republicans.  It seeks to curb the strong power of the federal government, allow for more personal freedom, and cut down on taxes.

In contrast, many liberal voters tend to prefer more leeway for government and do not express a distaste for taxes as vocally as more conservative speakers tend to. However, Ron Paul was also a darling of the left for his anti-war stance back in 2007-2008, so depending on the angle which Dennis plays himself, he may be able achieve the seemingly impossible, by securing otherwise typically liberal votes, in his effort to oust Pelosi.

If he does upset Pelosi, Dennis can expect to quickly rise within the ranks of the Republican Party.
   

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read